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Non-traditional DRIPs not only offer shareholders automatic reinvestment of dividends, but they also allow shareholders to purchase additional shares commission free. Examples of Dow Industrial Average components with direct purchase plans include Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Disney, Cisco Systems and J.P. Morgan Chase, states Forbes Magazine. The only Dow Industrial Average components that do not offer traditional DRIPs or direct stock purchase plans are Goldman Sachs, United Healthcare Group and Visa.

DRIPs offer investors the opportunity to purchase shares or fractions of shares with their dividends as opposed to taking their dividend payments in cash, Investopedia explains. This is advantageous to investors because they are able to purchase shares commission free through a DRIP plan, often at a discounted share price.

Some brokerage houses offer investors commission-free reinvestment of dividends for stocks that do not offer DRIPs, Investopedia notes. Brokerage-run DRIP plans are generally available to customers who are also using their accounts to make commissioned trades.